In janitorial settings which require a significant amount and number of specialized cleaning solutions, the liquid cleaning products are purchased on a concentrated basis, and then are diluted to the proper strength at the site where they will be used. This type of general system is employed by a wide variety of users, e.g., hotels, hospitals, restaurants, etc. Several dispensing systems have been developed for mixing and diluting the concentrated cleaning product. The dispensers usually feature at least some of the following components: a container for the concentrated cleaning product, a storage container for the diluted cleaning product, a method to dose concentrate into the storage container, and a water supply line to dilute the concentrate.
The dispensing systems vary widely in terms of their complexity. That is, the method of dilution may be rather simple and manual in nature, but may require a great deal of operator experience. On the other hand, the dispensing system may be quite complex, requiring several mechanical devices to dilute the concentrates. Such complex systems are often necessary where different cleaning products and different dilution ratios are utilized for different cleaning applications. These dispensing systems typically require several separate water lines, each water line corresponding to a different type of cleaning concentrate. The provision of multiple water lines increases the cost of installation. The requirement of multiple water lines also greatly limits the locations at which the dispensing system can be placed, and such a system is not portable. Accordingly, large containers such as mop buckets must be filled and taken to the point of usage by the janitorial personnel.
With one such system, a cabinet is mounted proximate the concentrated liquids and the water source. This cabinet contains a multiplicity of aspirators, backflow preventers and valves for dilution of the concentrates, the number of such devices depending upon the predetermined number established by the cabinet's manufacturer. However, such a system can be relatively complex, inflexible and expensive, especially in situations where only one concentrated liquid is utilized.
The cost of these conventional dispensing stations is relatively high, because of their complexity and because backflow preventers are generally required for each water connection by applicable plumbing codes. Pressure regulators may also be necessary to control use solution concentrations within an acceptable range. Other necessary flow control devices add to the cost of conventional dispensing systems; for example, a pick-up probe and foot valve must be employed in order to withdraw the concentrate from a rigid container.
An aspirator is employed with some dispensing systems to withdraw the concentrated cleaning solution from its container. With conventional systems, each water line requires a separate aspirator, and the aspirators are located outside the storage container in a variety of places, such as mounted to the concentrate container or mounted upon the wall adjacent to the dispensing station. These locations of the aspirator add to the complexity and space requirements of the dispensing system.
Another drawback of many conventional systems is that the dilution of the concentrate is inaccurate, resulting in a cleaning product having either too high or too low of a concentration. Many systems have no way of controlling and checking the dilution, so that inaccurate mixing by the janitorial personnel often occurs. Using too much concentrated liquid cleaner is wasteful, unnecessary, and expensive. Over-use of these products also hampers thorough rinsing and leaves messy residues. On the other hand, utilization of too little cleaning concentrate in the use solution will not clean adequately.
The present invention solves these and many other problems associated with currently available dispensing systems.